Reviews

Bojana Bartol (Slovenia):Gdansk is a wonderful city, in which I would like to live, especially along the river, between the crane and the nicely renovated medieval city center. Even with the cold weather (down to -13), the best locals (pubs and clubs) are always full and it's hard to get a table if you did not book before. People from all parts of northern Europe: Germans, Norwegians, Swedes and Finns visit this city. Good beer or vodka cost only 2 euros on average.

Date posted: March 2014

Ian Cade (England):Well I guess Gdansk’s WHS aspirations are the victim of other sites success. I doubt this will get a place on the list, not because it is undeserving, but mostly because others have beat it to it. Warsaw already has its listing for its near total rebuilding after the Second World War, so Gdansk dips out there. There are plenty of Baltic trading cities already inscribed so Gdansk won’t bring anything new to the table there.
It is a shame that Gdansk probably won’t get a place of the elite list as it really is a very impressive city. The rebuilding of the city centre is very thorough. I found walking around it is much more impressive than some of the already inscribed similar sites (Lübeck for example). Not only is it a city of distinct vintage it also has a wealth of modern history, from its role in the start of WWII through to the heroic actions of the Solidarity unions at the shipyards, which were played an immense part in the collapse of communism in Poland and beyond. It is also a city with a lovely atmosphere, I really enjoyed wandering around, hoping between bars and restaurants.
I would certainly recommend a trip to Gdansk. It may not be a tick off the World Heritage List, however it is yet another charming European city where whiling away time strolling the streets and sampling the local delicacies was extremely rewarding.
[Site 7: Experience 7]

Date posted: November 2011

Have you been to Gdansk - Town of Memory and Freedom? Share your experiences!